BMC’s proposed slum demolition drive faces off corporators and administration

The BJP leader of the house Ganesh Khankar declared that the house would not be adjourned till Bhide came and gave a statement

The proposed BMC crackdown on unauthorised slum structures with a height of 14 feet and above brought the civic administration and elected representatives into a fresh confrontation on Monday ahead of the proposed three-month drive from October 1 to December 31. Both the ruling parties and the opposition denounced the move and demanded that municipal commissioner Ashwini Bhide explain the decision before the house.

Mumbai, India - November 13, 2024: A view of the Behrampada Slums, Bandra East in Mumbai, India, on Wednesday, November 13, 2024. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

The BJP leader of the house Ganesh Khankar declared that the house would not be adjourned till Bhide came and gave a statement. Eventually, it was adjourned after a five-hour session at 8.10 pm with a promise to take up the issue the next day.

The BMC has identified 39,111 such structures across Mumbai, 31,227 of them in the eastern suburbs, 4,536 in the western suburbs and 3,348 in the island city. The proposed crackdown follows the recent fatal incidents involving unauthorised structures, including the Kurla landslide and the Mankhurd house collapse. The BMC has said that 4,584 of the identified structures have already been demolished, while notices have been issued to 611.

Elected representatives across political parties questioned the basis for selecting the structures and alleged that corporators were not consulted before the decision was announced. Mayor Ritu Tawde on Monday said that Ganesh Khankar, the BJP’s leader of the house, had already opposed the BMC’s proposed action. “A representation made by the leader of the house effectively represents the position of the entire civic house,” she said.

Khankar, who had earlier written to Bhide seeking suspension of notices to the unauthorised structures, reiterated his stand in the house and assured the opposition members that no action against slums would be undertaken on October 1. “Our position is very clear,” he said. “You may say whatever you want. But we have the ability and the strength to take along all ordinary Mumbaikars. I once again request the BMC commissioner to come before this House and make a statement. Until that happens, this house will not be adjourned.”

Khankar said that the proposed action had created fear among slum residents, and urged the BMC to consider the socio-economic consequences of issuing notices indiscriminately. He also argued that action should focus on structures posing a danger to life rather than be based solely on the 14-foot height criterion.

Pednekar also met Bhide and submitted a representation seeking an immediate halt to the three-month drive which, she pointed out, coincided with the festive season. “The statement by the leader of the house is in support of the poor,” she said. “We too share the same position. Uddhav Thackeray has always stood with the poor and will continue to do so.”

The Sena (UBT) corporator said that news reports about the proposed action had created widespread anxiety among slum dwellers. “The issue assumed such proportions that people could not even celebrate Ganpati peacefully,” she said. “Some even immersed their Ganpati idols in one-and-a-half days.”

Questioning the absence of prior consultation with the civic house, Pednekar also claimed that contrary to written and unwritten convention, even Tawde had not been informed about the demolitions. “If even the mayor is not aware of such a decision, then something is wrong with the administration. On what basis is the municipal administration taking such a decision?” she asked.

In her representation, Pednekar, along with other group leaders from the opposition, sought details of the rehabilitation plan for the affected families and demanded that their eligibility be examined before the demolition. “The demolitions will impact slum-dwelling students preparing for Class X and XII examinations badly,” she said. “If we do not give them six months’ time and instead disrupt their lives and future careers, who will take responsibility?”

The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the civic administration’s approach to illegal constructions involving builders, alleging that similar urgency was not visible in dealing with larger construction violations. She also brought up the differential treatment given to illegal structures under the jurisdiction of other agencies such as MMRDA and MSRDC. Her representation has been signed by Congress group leader Ashraf Azmi, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena group leader Yashwant Marathe Killedar and AIMIM group leader Vijay Ugale.

The opposition has warned that if the BMC takes action against even a single slum structure from October 1, it will organise protests across Mumbai, including a “lock the municipal ward offices” agitation. It has also called for an emergency meeting involving elected representatives and leaders of all political parties to discuss the issue.